GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Arkansas coach John Calipari wanted D.J. Wagner’s 3-pointer within the closing minute to keep away from the most-lopsided loss of his career.
Still, the 34-point drubbing at No. 7 Florida on Saturday evening matched the worst margin of defeat in Calipari’s 34 years.
“Wait a minute. My first year at UMass I had to have some of these,” Calipari quipped after a 111-77 loss to the defending nationwide champion Gators.
Nope. Some 30-pointers, however nothing fairly like this or Kentucky’s loss to Duke in November 2018. Calipari was teaching the Wildcats on the time.
“Look, I’ve done this so long, stuff happens,” stated Calipari, in his second season at Arkansas after 15 years at Kentucky, 9 at Memphis and eight at UMass. “I told them, ‘We had a great February. We got two games left. Let’s get out of here and go.’ I said it wasn’t my team. This is not the team I’ve been coaching.
“But I did inform some guys, ‘You acquired to do some soul looking and be trustworthy with your self. Why did you play the best way you performed?’ Not a complete lot else you are able to do.”
It was mostly a debacle all game, with Florida building a double-digit lead early, stretching it 30 midway through the second half and then celebrating at least a share of the Southeastern Conference title.
About the biggest drama was Calipari and Florida coach Todd Golden screaming at each other early in the second half and drawing double-technicals. Calipari’s assistants had to pull him away from midcourt. Golden, meanwhile, turned and started to rile up the home crowd.
Both coaches said they couldn’t even recall what started the exchange.
“Who is aware of? We’re each opponents,” Calipari said. “He’s executed an excellent job. I can let you know: He outcoached me at the moment.”
No. 20 Arkansas (21-8, 11-5 SEC) lost for just the second time in February. Seven Florida players scored in double figures while the Gators outrebounded the Razorbacks 51-31 and controlled the paint throughout.
“It was going to come back again to our will versus their will,” said Calipari, who had won his previous six trip to Gainesville. “And when you cease enjoying, they preserve transferring their ft and put you in unhealthy positions. And they did that to us a bunch. We had some alternatives to rebound. They simply beat us to a ball. … They outrebound us by 20. Come on. You’re not going to win that sport. You’re not.
“I wish it would have gone faster.”
Billy Richmond III led the Razorbacks with 22 factors, together with 14 within the first quarter-hour. Darius Acuff Jr., who leads the SEC in scoring and assists, completed with 17 factors and six assists.
But forwards Travon Brazile, Nick Pringle and Malique Ewin spent a lot of the evening in foul bother whereas attempting to defend Florida’s formidable frontcourt of Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu.
“They’re not afraid to throw you around,” Calipari stated of Florida. “That’s how they play. If you’re avoiding their contact, you can’t play in this game. And we had a bunch of guys try to go sideways and then come back and back and back. You can’t play that way.”
